Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken
My recipe for Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken makes the juiciest, most tender chicken thanks to the fresh butter, zesty garlic, lemons, and aromatic stuffing. An elegant recipe for a dinner party, yet simple enough for a weeknight meal!
Everything needed to make this delectable chicken is in the title, aside from my secret ingredient, which you’ll learn later in this recipe. This is the chicken recipe that will quickly make everyone who is “sick of chicken” change their minds. Moist and juicy on the inside, crispy on the outside, full of savory herbs and spices, and easy to prep in less than 20 minutes.
Table of contents
I love a good and easy chicken dinner that can feed a crowd. My Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken will make you swear off buying the rotisserie version for good. It’s so easy, yet so flavorful— imagine that crispy golden skin, juicy meat, and a medley of herbs, butter, lemon, and garlic— and it only takes a little more than an hour from prep to the table!
Also, I swear I get better and better at preparing the whole fowl every time I make this recipe. That’s hitting two birds with one stone: get to practice your roasting skills, and reward yourself with a fantastic meal at the same time.
I know there are a lot of chicken recipes out there, but this one is different. Not only is it full of flavor, but it is also easy to make. It will take just about 20 minutes to get it in the oven, where it will take about an hour to cook. With all the garlic and butter rubbed into it and under the skin, there is no lack of sensational taste as well. I even add some herbs and lemon in the middle for extra flavor.
To make this recipe I use all fresh ingredients, so it not only tastes better but is healthier for everyone who eats it. Also, with the rosemary in it, this chicken makes a perfect meal served with my crispy roasted rosemary potatoes, too.
Another wonderful thing about this recipe is that its perfect for a large family gathering or party. If there are leftovers, no need to worry. The meat freezes well too. Just wrap it in foil or plastic and place it in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. It can be frozen for up to four months.
Why you will love this recipe
- This is super juicy and crispy too: With the perfect blend of herbs and butter, this is a chicken dinner nobody gets sick of. It can be served in many different ways and is always moist and juicy with crispy skin for the best texture and taste. Also, preparing it is easy, so it can be put in the oven in less than 20 minutes.
- There is no need for rotisserie chickens: Grocery-store rotisserie chickens are convenient and cheap but often dry and wrinkly. Now, with my recipe, you can make your own in minutes, and it will be much easier than you think.
- Feed a small or large group: Make one and feed the family with leftovers or make a few and feed a crowd. Then, the leftovers can be separated into individual servings and packed in freezer bags for lunches, snacks, and other recipes like stews, soups, and casseroles.
What you’ll need to make garlic herb butter roasted chicken
Special items
- Roasting pan – Just large enough to fit the chicken.
- Bowls
- Cooking utensils
Ingredients
- Whole chicken – I get (and highly recommend) an organic free-range chicken, about four to five pounds. It should be at room temperature with the neck and giblets removed.
- Melted unsalted butter – I like to use unsalted to get the butter flavor and add the salt myself later.
- Softened unsalted butter – For the inside of the chicken, I use softened, room-temperature butter.
- Olive oil – The olive oil is for the pan and for mixing the butter and lemon juice. I use extra virgin olive oil for a light, fresh taste.
- Lemon zest – Using freshly zested lemon adds the most intense lemony flavor, which is important in this recipe.
- Lemon juice – Same here. I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice for the best taste. It is easy to do and does not take long. Since you’re already using a lemon to season the inside, why not squeeze the juice out of it first?
- Parsley – Freshly chopped parsley for seasoning.
- Rosemary – Chopped fresh rosemary for seasoning the bird and six fresh sprigs tied together for stuffing the bird.
- Thyme – Also, chopped fresh thyme for seasoning and three sprigs for the stuffing.
- Paprika – This is the secret ingredient. Just for a tiny bit of sweet peppery taste and a darker color when roasting the chicken.
- Garlic – Six cloves of minced garlic for seasoning the outside and under the skin. One head of garlic is peeled and cut in half to go inside the cavity for a more garlicky taste.
- One whole lemon – Quartered and placed inside the chicken for extra flavor.
- Salt and Pepper
How to make garlic herb butter roasted chicken?
- Preheat and prepare: First, I preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease a roasting pan with olive oil.
- Prep the chicken: Then, I clean the chicken under cold running water, removing excess fat and any leftover feathers before patting it dry with paper towels.
- Season the bird: Next, I combine the olive oil, lemon juice, and melted butter in a small bowl. Then, it goes into the pan where I pour the mixture on top of it, rubbing it inside the cavity and under the skin. After that, I season it with salt and pepper all over and sprinkle parsley on top.
- Add the butter: Now, I mix the softened butter with the chopped rosemary, thyme, paprika, lemon zest, and minced garlic before rubbing it all over the chicken and under the skin.
- Stuff it with herbs: The last thing to do is to stuff the chicken with the garlic head, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and lemon before tying the legs together.
- Bake and broil: Last, the chicken goes into the oven for about one hour. I baste it after about 30 minutes with pan juices. Then, after the juices run clear and the internal temperature is 150 degrees, baste it again and broil it for two minutes for crisping.
- Rest and serve: Finally, I let it rest for 15 minutes before serving it with a drizzle of pan juices and lemon wedges.
Expert tip
To get a crispy and moist chicken
The first thing to remember when preparing this dish is to choose the right chicken. Get a high-quality bird that has been air-chilled. Air-chilled chicken is better because chicken that is chilled in ice water absorbs all that water and tastes blander because the chicken’s natural juices are watered down. It is also harder to get it to crisp up in the oven. Air-chilled chicken is not soaked in water, so it is not full of water.
Then, it has to stay dry to prevent steam. Any steam will prevent crispiness. It has to remain dry throughout the process. Dry it in and out with paper towels, including the crevices, under the legs, and between the wings. Also, remove that ugly fat lump inside the cavity and separate the meat from the skin. Cook the bird in a shallow roasting pan so it does not trap any moisture inside.
Another way I get my chicken crispy is to broil it during the last two minutes of cooking. Turn the oven to broil and move the pan to the broil section. Just keep an eye on it to prevent it from burning. Also, do not let the temperature go above 150 degrees F. No amount of crispy skin is worth a dry chicken.
Recipe variations and add-ins:
- Leave out the lemons: Not everyone likes lemons. Replace them with limes, oranges, or no citrus at all.
- Make it spicy: I like to add some chopped jalapenos to the cavity and red pepper flakes to the seasoning for a spicy herb chicken.
- Mediterranean bird: Rub the chicken with Greek yogurt, toss some kalamata olives, grape tomatoes, and dill inside the cavity and make it a Mediterranean-style chicken.
- Drunk chicken: For added flavor, give your chicken some wine or beer. You can rub it into the skin and under the skin, as well as add it to the cavity.
- Make it sweet: The kids love it when I add some brown sugar and honey to the seasonings. The added sweetness makes this chicken taste even better, and the honey makes it more juicidal.
Serving suggestions:
- Mashed potatoes are my favorite side dish, and my family will agree. I like these yummy chunky mashed potatoes with green scallions and olive oil.
- Serve with my soft and fluffy 30-minute dinner rolls. They are easy to make and only need six ingredients.
- A nice light salad would also go great with this salad. Dress it up with my homemade Caesar dressing flavored with garlic, parmesan, and anchovy paste.
- My favorite wine to serve with this chicken dish is Sauvignon Blanc because of its citrus overtones.
- Another great beverage is lemonade to go with the lemon. Try my smooth mango lemonade, sparkling strawberry lemonade, or tangy pineapple lemonade.
- For dessert, further complement the citrus flavor with one of these quick and easy lemon desserts like lemon ricotta cake or no-bake lemon earthquake cake.
Frequently asked questions
In my recipe, I wait until the chicken is almost done roasting before crisping it in the broiler for two minutes. This will add a nice crunchy coating without burning it or having to put it into another cooking vessel.
However, it can also be moved to the air fryer where it can be fried for a couple of minutes to crisp. The main thing to do is to make sure the outside of the chicken is dry and add some oil or butter to it to help it crisp.
The most common reason for dry chicken is overcooking. The easiest way to avoid this is by using a digital meat thermometer. I use one that has Bluetooth, so it tells my phone when it is time to take it out.
That way, if my oven happens to be running hot, I do not have to worry about the chicken drying out. I remove it when it reaches 150 degrees F because it will continue to heat up to 160 degrees F as it rests.
Do not cover the chicken with aluminum foil after removing the chicken from the oven. Even though you want to let it continue to heat as it rests, covering it will allow moisture to build up.
This causes the skin to get moist all over again and lose its crispiness. Just remove it from the oven and let it sit for at least 15 minutes so the temperature can rise, and the juices can be reabsorbed back into the meat.
If the chicken was left in the oven too long, it can get the moisture sucked right out of it, making it rubbery like an old tire. Even if it is out of the oven and left in the pan too long, it will turn rubbery. It needs to stay moist on the inside and crisp on the outside to keep the texture the way it should be. Otherwise, the protein fibers become elastic, and it will be rubbery.
How to store:
- Refrigerate: I wrap my leftover chicken in plastic or foil or place it in an airtight container before storing it in the fridge for up to four days.
- Freezing: To freeze, I like to cut mine up into smaller pieces, depending on how much is left. Then, it goes into freezer bags for up to three months.
- Defrost: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for the best flavor.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers for one to two minutes in the microwave.
More chicken dinners:
Recipe tips:
- I highly recommend free-range organic chicken for the best flavor and texture.
- Be sure to rub the seasonings and butter under the skin to get the most flavor.
- Loosely cover the chicken with foil if the skin starts getting too brown.
- Tie the legs together after seasoning the cavity to keep it from drying out.
- Always allow the chicken to rest for 15 minutes after cooking to let the juices be absorbed back into the meat.
- Crisp the chicken in the broiler for two minutes before removing it for crunchy skin.
- Do not cover the chicken as it rests, or the skin will lose its crispiness.
- To see if the chicken is done I check if the juices run clear when piercing the thigh. Another way is to check for 160° and 165° temperature by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the inner thigh.
Garlic Herb Butter Roasted Chicken
Ingredients
- 4-5 pound whole chicken room temperature with giblets and neck removed from the cavity
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon zested first and juiced
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 1 tablespoon paprika optional – for a darker color when roasting
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 head garlic Roughly peeled and cut in half horizontally through the middle
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary tied together
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 lemon quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Lightly grease with olive oil a roasting pan and set aside.
- Clean the chicken, rinse it under cold running water, and pat dry with paper towels. Remove any excess fat and leftover feathers.
- Mix olive oil, melted butter, and lemon juice in a small bowl and stir well. Place the chicken on a cutting board or into the prepared pan and pour the butter mixture over the chicken. Use your hands to get it under the skin and inside the cavity.
- Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper on the inside and outside. Sprinkle on top with the parsley.
- In a medium bowl, combine four tablespoons of butter with the chopped fresh rosemary, chopped fresh thyme, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Add the paprika if using. Stir to combine.
- Rub the mixture all over the chicken and get it under the skin as well.
- Stuff the chicken with the halved garlic head, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and quartered lemon. Tie legs together with kitchen string.
Roast:
- Place the chicken breast-side up in the prepared roasting pan and roast for 1 hour and 15-25 minutes. Baste halfway through cooking, and roast the chicken until its juices run clear when pierced with a skewer.
- Baste again when the chicken is done roasting, then turn on the broiler and broil it for 2-3 minutes, just until golden.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before serving.
- Use the pan juices to drizzle them over the chicken.
- Serve with fresh lemon wedges on the side.